MORE FTC regulations on the way - can't be good!! :(

Have you seen the following press release about a newly proposed "do not track mechanism" for browsers, sponsored by the FTC "people"? For Pete's sake, haven't the FTC heard of "privacy statements"?? Haven't they heard about the generous refund schemes alot of affiliate networks offer?? Unbelievable... There is an obvious insinuation by the FTC that the average computer user only has half a brain.

This news does not sound good for us. When explicitly confronted with a choice (via such a "system") most users will definitely opt out of being tracked. That's a gimmee. We can bank on that.

Kind of makes me think how many of us are basing our livelihoods, futures and dreams on cookies...Then overnight, it will most likely all disappear... as it is surely will do - because this FTC report and it's recommendations have apparently already been passed.

Look, I'm not usually negative but this makes me think we are kind of wasting our time and resources on affiliate marketing. I can't see a lot of people batting for us either - super affiliates (and I'm speaking very generally here) or otherwise. Where is our voice?? Where is our representation?? What do we do next?? :( With all the wealth and resources super affiliates and these mega wealthy affiliate networks have access to, does anyone know if they have formed any kind of representative body to fight these stupid laws? What voice, what chance do us little guys have?

03 Dec 10 9:28 am
from reading that, it isnt really about affiliate tracking. This is to keep people from collecting and sharing info from people on our sites. where it will affect us is having clearer privacy disclosures for email subscribers, and to stop the people out there buying and selling email lists.

We arent collecting and tracking their information, we are giving them information. overall, I am not sure how this will affect affiliate tracking information,

03 Dec 10 9:05 pm
I think it will come down to how they word things when something more official comes out. I am not a lawyer, so dont take what I say as legal advice, but on the surface, it doesn't look like they are trying to shut down affiliates, they are just ttrying to protect people from spammers and some of the black hat tactics that people use.

04 Dec 10 7:28 am
Like my brother, I'm going to take a "wait and see" approach on this, but I just read an article on it, and it seems like what they are wanting to do is stop some of the "hidden" tracking that goes on where companies collect and collate data on where people go and what they do and sell that information to companies that do advertise to people. (IE the spybot industry.)

From my understanding, some things will change, but it is not aimed at people advertising a product then using some sort of tracking so that we get commission. However, I can see how this "do not track" could potentially interfere with the more legitimate tracking, such as we try to do with IM.

We can only hope that whatever recommendations and actions that are taken would still allow us the freedom we need to track for purposes of commissions.